http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with world news and current affairs that matter en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/276033,pakistani-army-helicopter-crashes-26-soldiers-killed--summary.html Islamabad - At least 26 soldiers were killed on Friday when an army helicopter crashed in the country's lawless tribal region, security officials said. The MI 17 helicopter crashed owing to a technical fault this afternoon, approximately 20 kilometr... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:23:37 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/276033,pakistani-army-helicopter-crashes-26-soldiers-killed--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/276024,un-secretary-general-meets-myanmar-junta-chief--summary.html Yangon - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Myanmar's military leader Friday on an official visit that aimed at pressing for the release of all political prisoners including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. According to Myanmar'... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:17:41 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/276024,un-secretary-general-meets-myanmar-junta-chief--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/276008,us-drone-pakistani-troops-kill-28-militants-in-pakistan--summary.html Islamabad - At least 28 militants were killed in a suspected US drone attack and clashes with Pakistani troops in the country's north-west, officials said Friday. The suspected US drone fired three missiles Friday at a militant hideout in the restive... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:47:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/276008,us-drone-pakistani-troops-kill-28-militants-in-pakistan--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275992,extra-taliban-claims-downing-of-pakistan-army-helicopter.html Islamabad - Local Taliban on Friday claimed to have shot down a Pakistan Army helicopter in the country's lawless tribal region, media reports said. A spokesman for the Islamic militants told Sama television that the Taliban had also captured the pil... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:41:34 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275992,extra-taliban-claims-downing-of-pakistan-army-helicopter.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275969,gunman-who-targeted-hong-kong-democracy-leader-is-jailed.html Hong Kong - A Chinese would-be hit man arrested in Hong Kong with a gun and bullets in a suspected plot to shoot pro-democracy champion Martin Lee was Friday jailed for 16 years. Huang Nanhua, 50, was found guilty in Hong Kong's High Court of possess... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:17:38 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275969,gunman-who-targeted-hong-kong-democracy-leader-is-jailed.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275959,seven-dead-more-feared-drowned-as-bus-falls-into-pakistan-canal.html Islamabad - Seven people were killed and a score more were feared drowned Friday when a bus fell into a canal in eastern Pakistan, police said. The driver lost control while overtaking another vehicle on a sharp bend next to the Abbasia canal near th... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:41:40 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275959,seven-dead-more-feared-drowned-as-bus-falls-into-pakistan-canal.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275958,hong-kong-teenager-faces-jail-for-making-bomb-that-blew.html Hong Kong - A Hong Kong teenager pleaded guilty Friday to making a homemade bomb that blew off his left hand when it exploded in his family's high-rise apartment. Tsang Tsz-fung, 17, told the court through his lawyer that he had begun making homemade... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:41:40 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275958,hong-kong-teenager-faces-jail-for-making-bomb-that-blew.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275951,us-drone-attack-kills-15-in-pakistan.html Islamabad - A suspected US drone aircraft fired three missiles at a militant hideout in Pakistan's restive tribal district of South Waziristan on the Afghan border on Friday, killing at least 15 people, an intelligence official said. The missiles rep... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:35:47 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275951,us-drone-attack-kills-15-in-pakistan.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275950,german-man-stabbed-to-death-in-central-philippines.html Manila - A 68-year-old German man was stabbed to death by an unidentified attacker at his residence in the central Philippines, a police report said Friday. Herman Kruse was watching television with his Filipino wife at their house in Daan Bantayan t... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:23:38 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275950,german-man-stabbed-to-death-in-central-philippines.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275949,south-korea-criticizes-north-koreas-rocket-tests.html Seoul - North Korea may have wanted to directly provoke South Korea with its latest rocket tests, the Defence Ministry in Seoul said Friday. The launch of four short-range rockets was obviously done with relations between the two Koreas in mind, mini... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:41:43 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275949,south-korea-criticizes-north-koreas-rocket-tests.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275948,vietnam-sentences-poachers-for-killing-rare-ape.html Hanoi - A court in southern Vietnam has sentenced two men to prison for killing two endangered black-shanked douc apes, a local official said Friday. I am not happy when I hear someone is put into prison, but I agree with the sentences because it wi... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:35:40 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275948,vietnam-sentences-poachers-for-killing-rare-ape.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275946,japan-has-high-hopes-for-amano-in-nuclear-non-proliferation-post.html Tokyo - The Japanese government puts high hopes in Yukiya Amano as the first Japanese ever to lead the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the top government spokesman said Friday. We hope that Amano would tackle the nuclear issues in the are... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:23:35 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275946,japan-has-high-hopes-for-amano-in-nuclear-non-proliferation-post.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275941,indonesia-is-becoming-a-magnet-for-muslim-refugees--feature.html Cisarua, Indonesia - Indonesia is steadily developing into a way-station for refugees from the Middle East waiting to migrate to a third country. Afghan refugee Bashir Bahtiari, 45, has been stranded here just like his countrymen Habibullah, 29, and ... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:53:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275941,indonesia-is-becoming-a-magnet-for-muslim-refugees--feature.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275940,japan-extends-refuelling-assistance-for-anti-terrorism-mission.html Tokyo - Japan on Friday extended its refuelling assistance to its international allies carrying out military operations in Afghanistan for another six months. A cabinet meeting approved the extension of the current special law on the anti-terrorism m... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:35:41 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275940,japan-extends-refuelling-assistance-for-anti-terrorism-mission.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275939,vietnam-cuts-list-of-death-penalty-crimes.html Hanoi - Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet has promulgated a new law removing death sentences for eight crimes, state media reported Friday. The state-run Viet Nam News said the new law took effect on July 2, removing eight crimes from the list o... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:23:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275939,vietnam-cuts-list-of-death-penalty-crimes.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275936,un-secretary-general-arrives-in-myanmar.html Yangon - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Yangon Friday for a two-day official visit during which he will press for the release of all political prisoners including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Ban and his entourage arri... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:35:42 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275936,un-secretary-general-arrives-in-myanmar.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275935,japan-may-respond-if-pyongyang-missile-launch-threatens-security.html Tokyo - Japan would take action if a North Korean missile launch threatened the nation's security, the top government spokesman said Friday following Pyongyang's four missile launches the previous day. Although Japan saw no serious problem posed by N... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:23:36 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275935,japan-may-respond-if-pyongyang-missile-launch-threatens-security.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275931,tradition-of-supporting-parents-falling-out-of-favour-in-hong-kong.html Hong Kong - More than half of Hong Kong adults questioned in a survey published Friday believe they should not be financially burdened by their elderly parents, indicating a decline in the traditional Chinese belief in children's duty to care for par... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:17:41 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275931,tradition-of-supporting-parents-falling-out-of-favour-in-hong-kong.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275929,hong-kong-employer-fined-for-forcing-maid-to-kowtow-100-times.html Hong Kong - A Hong Kong couple assaulted their Filipino maid and forced her to kowtow 100 times after she served an inadequately cooked meal, a court report said Friday. Secretary Wan Sau-yee grabbed maid Julieta Binggas Selga by the hair and pushed ... Asia,World Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:53:35 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275929,hong-kong-employer-fined-for-forcing-maid-to-kowtow-100-times.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275894,militant-violence-leaves-54-dead-in-pakistan--summary.html Islamabad - At least 54 people, most of them Taliban but also two policemen, were killed in airstrikes, clashes, a roadside bombing and suicide attack within the previous 24 hours in north-western Pakistan, officials said Thursday. The latest violenc... Asia,World Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:17:42 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/275894,militant-violence-leaves-54-dead-in-pakistan--summary.html